Things Not Even the Avatar Can Bend
by sam yfirst
Summary: Korra finds herself unable to bend her way out of something - the ever chaotic rules of love. Post-Finale.
1. Complicated, Terrifying and Stupid

Maybe the word "bothered" didn't fit how things worked for Korra lately. After the little Spirit World trip a few days back, the only word she could find was "complicated" and it _did_ make things complicated for her too.

Thinking, which also qualified as talking to oneself according to Jinora, has become one of her favorite things to do now. The Korra everyone knew three years ago would have been terrified with the amount of emotional transformation the present Korra underwent.

Maybe "terrifying" fits better than "bothered" and "complicated" put together did.

Korra finally sighs heavily and moves out of the hospital bed. She could heal herself. _No biggie_. But today? She just needed an _excuse_.

Not an excuse to run away from responsibilities though. The things that kept her busy as soon as she got back from the Spirit World were much needed distractions. This entire situation now was just meant to _stall_ something.

And so the Avatar sighs out of "frustration over her unsettled frustrations" once more. She tries to busy herself with the random portraits on the white walls of her hospital ward. Weird pictures of fishing villages bowing to the waves. Her lips drew into pout and her nose crinkles. _Stupid._

She had a lot of words hanging now.

Bothered. Complicated. Terrifying. Excuse. Stupid.

What more was there?

There was a point during the evening of her return to the Material World when she even contemplated paying Zaheer another visit. Crazy idea. But she honestly thinks she was out of balance albeit at a relatively smaller degree.

Now there was another word - _crazy_.

Korra's palm went straight to her forehead soundly this time. Then the pain immediately shot through her entire arm, reminding her of her recent encounter with firebending looters downtown. She had wanted to reason with them, and, again, because of how "bothered" she seemed to be lately, she overestimated the looters' level of empathy. Thus, the burnt arm.

The over attentive nurse had left about ten minutes ago and Korra couldn't feel any more relieved. She wouldn't admit it but she needed this time alone - this _excuse_ - even for just a few hours to sort her thoughts out and catch her breath. However, Korra looks down at her barbecued arm and nearly scoffed at the irony of her situation.

She wanted to "stall" a certain situation - no, phenomenon - but this very arm reminded her of that situation, of that phenomenon.

And that phenomenon-

-was no other than Asami Sato.

And this is exactly where every word she has thought of so far comes in.

_Bothered. Complicated. Terrifying. Excuse. Stupid. Crazy._

She's _bothered _because she doesn't have the clearest idea of what was going on between the two of them. And yes, the situation was very _complicated_ because of some untouchable wall she seems to hit every time she tries to make sense out of the Sato phenomenon. It's _terrifying _because she never would have projected her situation with Asami to hit this kind of... disbalance.

Now that she thinks about it, this whole busy with rebuilding Republic City shebang was slowly taking the form of an _excuse_ to not deal with their situation. Maybe her recent liking to airbending was creating some sort of side effect - the "running away" sort of side effect to be specific.

They didn't stay very long in the Spirit World because of everything that awaited them here in Republic City. But during the week they stayed there, Korra could not have felt any happier seeing Asami smile - and the kind of smile she has not seen days after the Colossus was taken down.

Korra remembers each and every time she saw her smile, heard her laugh, even at Iroh's simple jokes. And in each of those moments, the Avatar found herself staring longer than necessary, longer than a friend should.

There was this one instance, Asami was deep into a Pai Sho game with Iroh, Korra stared - stared long enough to drown everything around her out and see and hear Asami and Asami only. It felt like falling into the ocean and falling even deeper into its trenches with the sunlight shooting down at her through the surface above to probably give her a hand. Minutes later then, she didn't take that hand; she let herself drown; she let herself take the water in - suffocate her.

She let herself... fall completely.

Then-

She sneezed.

At that moment Iroh made a comment about Korra probably deliberately sneezing into the board to give Asami the upperhand. And Asami - sweet, sweet Asami - took that moment to offer Korra an amused smile.

HAH. Amused she was, but the Avatar - almighty Avatar Korra - could have choked out of the very air that had just made its way to her lungs. She immediately coughed very awkwardly, eyes everywhere but Iroh or Asami and made an excuse about getting a cold - which was _stupid _really.

It was then when something hit the Avatar.

It might be _crazy_-

But Avatar Korra, many times the savior of the world, was beginning to realize that she was falling for Asami Sato.

Korra cringes at the thought - but not because she was disgusted. No, no.

It was because she didn't know how to deal with it, and she still was Korra. And being a confused Korra means that slightest chance that something might get... destroyed?

Like a reflex, her better arm grabs the painting she was supposedly looking at, and just as she was about to throw it halfway across the room - or perhaps even through the hospital wall and out into the city streets, there was a faint knock on her ward door.

Bolin? Opal? Tenzin? Meelo? Ryu?

Anyone. Just not Asa-

'What are you doing?'

And there she was. So calm. So collected. So beautiful. _And so out of timing_, Korra thought. This girl might have been a Dai Li agent in one of her lifetimes.

Korra froze where she stood, painting still on one hand in throw position, while her burnt arm dangled awkwardly in a much more awkward bandage wrap.

Of course she'd know that voice anywhere and anytime - even when one of her ears went deaf.

'I-'

Korra casually returns the painting on the wall and began stretching as if ready for a dive.

'I was just - you know - trying to find things to keep me in shape.'

Asami laughs lightly as she leaned on the door frame.

'What? One firebender pulls a stunt on you, and you immediately go out of shape?'

'I would like to thank you for you concern, Miss Sato. It is very much appreciated,' Korra said with a hand on her chin like Tenzin would do when he was serious about something.

They both laugh this time, but Asami smiles throughout the silence that followed, much to Korra's discomfort.

'How are you doing?' Asami asked. She had leaned her head on the door frame now.

'Arm? Or me - the Avatar!'

Korra playfully points the thumb of her better hand at herself.

Asami rolled her eyes, still smiling. She finally strides into the ward and past Korra to sit on a visitor couch. Korra takes this as her cue to return to the hospital bed.

'You-' she answers without looking at Korra '-as in Korra.'

Right. Any friend of Korra wouldn't worry about her burning an arm. She was many times in the brink of death, and one arm injury definitely wasn't something to be bothered about.

Despite seeing each other everyday because of Republic City's rehabilitation, they literally just saw each other and haven't had a decent conversation since their trip at the Spirit World.

'I'm okay, I guess.'

Korra took the time to take the image of Asami in while the older girl wasn't looking and hoped somehow that behind their casual conversation was a buried "I miss you".

Because Korra missed her.

A lot.

But because of "complicated", "terrifying" and "stupid", she couldn't say it.

'Hey. Are you alright?'

Korra snapped into her trance and was thankful Asami didn't pester her over looking. Now that she thought about it, this wasn't even the first time she was caught looking. Asami was looking at her now, and she was looking at her in a very familiar manner - one she saw many times in the Spirit World or maybe her head.

The Avatar nodded and smiled. She knew that she wanted to say something, but at the moment, there was nothing and many things to say. Korra fiddled with the tattered blue sleeve on her bandaged arm.

'Is it that bad?' Asami asked with a look of concern now.

'I can actually heal it,' Korra answered, waving a hand too to push any budding worry in the other girl.

Asami playfully raises an eyebrow.

'If I didn't know any better, you had your arm grilled to get me alone.'

Then Korra laughs... a little too loudly, mind silently begging the spirits to have someone barge in. It didn't even matter if it was Zaheer.

Where was Jinora's apparition when you needed it?

Airbender kids? Please?

And like the spirit plane split the air in half, the door burst open, Ikki, Jinora and Meelo spilling into the room and runs to hug - crush - the ever thankful Avatar.

The kids sent a barrage of questions Korra couldn't even answer, but she was just so happy to see them in many ways.

'Don't be too energetic now. Korra's had a long day,' Asami told the kids who responded with different words of affirmation.

Maybe Korra missed one word today. It was terrifying and complicated having Asami around, but the Avatar will always remember feeling the lightest and the heaviest at the same time when it came to her.

Happy.

Just like that, Korra was happy - completely forgetting the tangle of thoughts and words in her head moments ago.

Amidst the chaos of Airbender kids tryin to hog her attention, Korra managed to sneak a look towards Asami, who, at the moment, looked at her and the kids with amusement and perhaps a tinge of adoration.

Korra mouthed a "thank you" at the other woman across the room before Meelo completely took the Avatar's attention by grabbing her jaw.


	2. Borders, Lies and Borderlies! Wait-What?

Disclaimer: I do not own LoK nor do I have any influence or any degree of ownership over Bryke's ideas.

Author's Note: Hi! I did not expect to get three reviews really. I just wanted to write. In fact, I only check back here on FF yesterday. I would like to offer more chapters to the three people who took time on telling me they appreciate my work. Thank you!

Chapter II: Borders, Lies and-and-and Borderlies! Wait. What?

_Borderlines_. That was the word. That was the _right_ word.

Korra let out a heavy sigh as she pushed the noodles in her bowl around with the chopsticks she held. This had not been a fun day.

Come to think of it. She had not been having fun days lately. She spent them trying to settle uneasy feelings, and coming to terms with them by accepting that they would not go away seemed to have taken things for the worse.

With all the musings she had been going through, she was brought to the idea of _borderlines - _borderlines in a certain aspect.

Korra hears the distant giggling of Opal. She looks up from her untouched food and smiles at the sight. Bolin was teaching Pabu tricks and the airbending Beifong seemed to be having a lot of fun watching him and his pet doing a mini circus act.

The Avatar adored the sight.

Pabu does a handstand and lifts a single rose with his feet, offering it to Opal. Bolin grins widely. Opal blushes and must have muttered a thank you. Korra could not tell.

At least the two did not have to deal with borderlines anymore. Or maybe they did but at least the borders that defined their relationship were clear enough - _defined, _yeah.

A memory from her and Asami's Spirit World trip draws vividly in her mind and Korra couldn't help but sigh another emotionally weighed-down breath - only this time with a gust of frustration that sends bent air through her dinner.

Her lips remained pouted in annoyance as the memory demanded to be remembered.

She was sure there was something between her and the only remaining Sato before they entered the portal, and she always thought she had given it significant considerations each time they were at close proximity before the Colossus was taken down. However, upon entering the Spirit World, things went from there-is-something-but-I'm-not-sure-what to what-in-spirits-name-are-we-doing.

There was this particular moment, which is the current root cause of Korra's furthered annoyance. Asami asked Korra then how Mako and she were doing. The Avatar was not sure what the question meant, but she answered with the first thing that she thought of, which was a nonchalant "we're good".

They were talking about something then - some lengthy conversation about nature in the Spirit World when the Mako Topic was unceremoniously brought up. Korra wished they never went there because Asami stopped talking for a considerable amount of time that day and would suddenly just look at her with eyes the Avatar could not read.

That's where it started - a vicious cycle of are-you-okays from Korra and seemingly unfathomable yeahs from Asami. Sure they were _unfathomable_... or maybe Korra just read a little too much into them. Until now they still find themselves in that situation sometimes.

And Korra hated it with all her heart.

Opal and Bolin were now playing some game that involved the airbender keeping Pabu in the air and the earthbender trying to reach the poor ferret with earth springing from the floor in thin pillars.

They were having fun.

_That's it!_

Korra shot up from where she sat, making the dining table move in the process, and momentarily silencing everyone in the room.

She headed for the docks behind the temple.

Earlier today Asami cameby Air Temple Island and seemed more tired than usual. Korra found out from Tenzin that the engineer had been working double for the rehabilitation since Korra's arm got... well... barbecued.

Asami went straight for the Avatar, who had been healing herself at the same docks she stood in now. It was pretty unusual and Korra, a relatively dense person, noticed the lack of normalcy in Asami's behavior.

They did not talked much. They only talked about the wonders in Water Tribe healing methods, because it was all Asami would ever ask about then. After sharing practically every nook and cranny of healing, there was silence which didn't last long for the engineer immediately excuses herself and claims she had to go back to work.

Korra had not known what to do or say. And as if out of reflex, she asks if Asami was alright. She felt so silly then that she could feel Raava hitting her with one of her tentacle-like... thingies. There was a long fat pause and Asami only nodded before walking away.

Korra did not protest-

-_at least not out loud._

She knew Asami was lying. Korra was a pretty loud person and pretty outspoken too. She would proclaim her anger if she could, but Asami - perfect, prim and proper Asami - would not speak of her emotions if she could help it... which was eigthy percent of the time.

_If only there was a way to figure out when Asami was lying..._

Korra bent water out of the ocean arms lapping at the docks' concrete footing and absent-mindedly began to heal herself.

Barely a minute later though, the water that had just run through her arm drops back into the waters with an insignificant splash.

_There was a way._

After all, she is _the Avatar_ and it just so happens that she is some sort of _prodigy _at the same time_._

.

..

...

The following morning Korra still had the day off to completely heal from her injury. So she goes right down to business after breakfast.

She sits down lotus where the sun shone brightly and the earth had enough contact with her skin. She takes a deep, deep, deep, relaxing breath and shuts her eyes close.

Everything hid behind the darkness of her eyelids and there was nothing left for her to do but listen - listen and _see, feel with her ears._

The kids were still inside, she could tell as much.

Perhaps they were somewhere at the ground floor of the Temple.

About a couple of hours later she almost felt silly that she huffs and decides to pop one eye open, wanting to cheat sight, but loud thuds of small feet and even smaller feet could be heard somewhere in the vicinity. Korra immediately shuts her eyes hard.

Listen.

Wait.

Seconds later the footsteps faded, but she could still feel them - contact on the ground tinier and lighter, lighter and lighter until it felt like a feather lifting and drifting back to the ground lighter than moments before.

Korra's lips pulled into her trademark grin.

Without opening even one eye, Korra lets herself fall to her left side and Meelo's attempt at a sneak attack failed.

'BUT I WAS ALMOST FLOATING!'

_Indeed, there was a way._

.

..

...

'Nope!'

'Amazing!'

'Oh! Oh! Me! Me!'

'Okay. You go.'

'Master Tenzin is not a boring teacher!'

'Lie.'

'Cool!'

'What's going on here?'

Opal, Bolin, Korra and the airbender kids turn around to see an amused Asami just making herself welcome in the common room.

Everybody else greets her with a warm hi, except for Korra who smiles like a child happy to see a next-door-neighbor crush.

'Korra practiced truth-seeing!' Meelo answers for the rest of them.

'Truth-seeking, Meelo!' Ikki corrects her little brother.

Asami looked curious for a second and crosses her arms.

'You mean like Aiwei lie-detecting?' she asks again, looking at Korra now.

'Sort of,' Korra answers, good hand scratching the back of her head, 'I'm not very good at it yet.'

Asami gives her a smile that all but turns into a challenging smirk - much to Korra's horror.

'Okay-' the Future Industries CEO sits directly in front of Korra and looks her straight into her practically quivering eyes '-I'd like to try this new hat trick of yours then.'

_This is it_. This was what Korra prepared for in the first place. She was sure though that somewhere in her chest was a badgermole digging itself a nice warm cave to sleep in. Was this how Aang felt when he finally faced Ozai?

Korra gulped and all she could see was green boring through her soul.

Asami lightly laughs, 'How does this even work?'

'Um-just say anything. I'll try to figure out if it's a lie.'

Everyone was spectating too. Korra could only hope her new talent works well enough.

Asami narrows one eye as she ruthlessly darted through Korra's suddenly light blue eyes and through her mind for something she didn't know either.

'I like flowers.'

And Korra smirks. The slightest of tremors on the floor between them was proof enough.

'No, you don't,' Korra cockily proclaims, triumph evident in her tone.

Asami laughs and it suddenly felt harder for Korra to concentrate.

'Alright let me give you a harder one,' she challenges Korra. Both her eyes narrow at the other girl now, lips pursed into a timid smile, and for a fleeting moment, her gaze softened.

Korra waits, feeling the ground become somewhat colder by the minute.

'I am doing fine - really fine lately.'

That was a lie.

Funny part was Korra knew she could not have detected that through the tremors on the floor because her own heart was stronger than any force she could feel beneath her now.

The Avatar momentarily looks down at the small space between her and Asami as if to find a physical anomaly there.

But there was nothing there... literally.

And Korra thought, was something beginning to disappear there? Or was there really nothing there to begin with?

Korra looks back up at Asami and finds that familiar gaze she has grown fond of - a shy, almost expectant gaze. The Avatar almost begs for the other girl to have lunch with her later.

'Would you like to eat steamed buns later?' Korra asks without thinking her offer over.

'Um-' Asami looked unsure about the situation for a second - if she was still in the game or not, or if Korra was at all serious '-yes?'

That was not a lie too. But really, Korra did not mind to seek out the truth on that one. She was just happy and eager to spend time with Asami later.

Maybe some borders where better off not braved through head on. As Tenzin would always say, _be patient_.

And Korra was now very much willing to be patient with this one - _with Asami_.


End file.
